Keen no kikoushi by Fuyuno Jinko and illustrated by Enjin Yamimaru has an English title--Prince of KABUKI. Note that the KABUKI is in all caps. I couldn't take the book seriously because of this English title, and it's a very good thing I didn't. This is a stupid book filled with stupid characters. I should've noticed the author before reading the book, since my experience with this author's books have been pretty dismal. Yes, I've liked maybe two or three books of hers. But I've probably read at least a dozen, and most of them were total crap. The only redeeming quality of this one is the art, the only reason I'm posting on it at all. I can't believe this actually has a sequel...And has a five star rating on both from one review. I feel like rating the book with one star and writing "IT'S CRAAAAP" to counter the lone review. XD;

In any case, this is about a photographer and the Prince of KABUKI who wants photographer to take pictures of him. Throw in juvenile attitudes, EBIL ex-lovers, and really lame attempts at making the Prince of KABUKI seem extraordinary, and you have a really typical BL novel.

Photographer is known for taking pictures of only people he wants to take pictures of. He'd gotten to know a minor kabuki actor who was also doing well as a personality on TV, etc and had planned on taking the pictures for a photo book of the actor. But actor had to postpone the project due to a sudden conflict, and instead photographer is offered the job of taking pictures of the Prince of KABUKI. It's pretty obvious that things had been manipulated so that actor would be unavailable, and photographer is miffed. Things aren't helped when he meets Prince of KABUKI. He's gorgeous (I love the pose, the clothing, and the hair of the Prince of KABUKI above!), but he's a jackass. Photographer can't help but admit that Prince of KABUKI has awesome charisma, but dislikes him.

Photographer is urged to check out Prince of KABUKI in action, so he attends a performance of the famous play Sukeroku in which Prince of KABUKI plays the title character (see a pic of a real guy in the outfit here). He's (naturally) blown away. He'd never known how awesome kabuki could be until now! But he still isn't on board with the project.

I do not remember why this happened, but it's a pretty forced kiss scene, no? It doesn't lead to sex, though...

Photographer attends practice sessions of some side project Prince of KABUKI and other young actors are working on. Isn't Prince of KABUKI oh-so-sensual? *rolls eyes*

Prince of KABUKI drunk in a taxi!

I think they have sex after this. It is marvelous and magical and really really special. They connect on a deep and meaningful level, except that photographer then cuts off all contact with Prince of KABUKI.

Photographer stops Prince of KABUKI from beating up photographer's old boss and ex-lover. Long story short: Ex-boss is an EBIL bastard who had a) raped photographer, b) threatened him with blackballing in the industry if he resisted, and c) stolen photographer's work when he'd been in a slump. Photographer had managed to break away and had done well for himself since. Ex-boss continues his EBIL bastardness by attempting to blackmail first Prince of KABUKI's dad into letting him do Prince of KABUKI's photo book, then by blackmailing photographer into not doing the project and returning to be ex-boss's lover when his first attempt fails. Prince of KABUKI barges in while photographer and ex-boss were meeting (and, incidentally, thwarting the ex-boss from having his EBIL way with the photographer). The nice thing about this scene is that photographer kicks the Prince of KABUKI out to finish his talk with his ex-boss. He tells ex-boss that he had no intention of sleeping with him, and that he'd do all that he can to protect Prince of KABUKI. He walks out and meets up with the poor Prince of KABUKI who hadn't been allowed to assert his seme-ness and looks like a sad, kicked puppy.

I don't remember this scene, either, but it's also very pretty! XDXD

In any case, they have more sex and live happily ever after....

With the photographer producing the photo book that sells like hotcakes. I assume this color insert is supposed to be one of the photographs. Can't say it's very good, sadly. ^^;

The stupidest thing about this entire book has to be that it turns out that Prince of KABUKI had known photographer way back when because EBIL bastard had been connected with Prince of KABUKI's dad from way back, and had been drawn to him from then. Of course it totally makes sense to act like a total dickwad the first time you formally meet, right after obviously manipulating things so that you could work with photographer. Way to not need a good first impression, Mr. Studly Prince of KABUKI dude. Good thing photographer is a bit of a twit (he'd actually believed EBIL bastard loved him at one point, even after the rape, the threats, the treating him like a hole to fuck, and stealing his work).